Exercise machine shave become apart of the modern every day routine. This phenomenon is evidenced in the demand today for fitness centers, at-home exercise and weight machines, and various other exercise-related products. Many of the available exercise machines are large, heavy, or otherwise not portable as a matter of practicality. Many people, however, find their exercise routine to be an essential part of their day, even when traveling for business or pleasure away from home. This can be seen as more and more commercial establishments are now offering fitness centers as part of the common amenities at hotels, cruises, and other lodging establishments.
Although relatively portable exercise devices such as the Thighmaster, see http://www.asseenontv.com/prod-pages/thighmaster_gold.html; http://www.asseenontv.com/prod-pages/suzanne-somers-toning-system.html!gid=, have been produced, they may not be ideal in either portability or versatility. The Thighmaster Gold, for example, is oddly shaped and would be awkward to pack into a suitcase. In addition, even in conjunction with it supper-body counterpart the Thighmaster LBX, the versatility of exercise motion available via the devices is limited
Another device called the My Gym System, see https://www.buymygym.com/, was developed to expand the available exercises within a single apparatus. The My Gym allows for variable resistance through the use of various elastic bands, where one elastic band may offer a different resistance level from another elastic band. Thus, the design requires a number of elastic bands to provide the variable resistance, in addition to the number of elastic bands needed to provide for various exercise postures. This results in many elastic bands being included within the device compartment, and thus a relatively large exercise apparatus. Although the My Gym may be portable by hand its dimensions and weight are not nearly compact enough for purposes of light travel, for example, within a suitcase or travel bag.
Hence, it is desirable to have a solution, without the above-described disadvantages, such as an exercise apparatus with adjustable resistance, versatility of use, and ease of portability. As will be seen, the invention provides such a solution in an elegant manner.
Throughout the description, similar reference numbers may be used to identify similar elements.